The Mandalorian- Sinful to watch?

[RolandThompsonGunner]

And honestly if I didn’t have hobbies and diversions when I got home, I wouldn’t be able to function.

In my mind, it’s sort of like if your goal were to become more physically fit, and someone told you, “well, then you need to work out 24 hours a day. Sitting on the couch reading a book isn’t going to help you build muscle.” But of course, if you took that literally, you’d very quickly injure yourself and move further from your goal, not closer. Giving your body time to rest and recover is a critical part of any fitness regimen.

Similarly, if I spent every waking moment reading religious texts, I’d quickly become burnt out. I wouldn’t be able to absorb or contemplate what I was reading. I need to give my brain a break.

 

[Inbonum]

It comes from false teaching that when you watch it you obviously support content, so if you support it you are cooperator and that is sin. I met Catholics who teach that. People become scrupulous because of it and everything becomes sin.
It becomes like one of those threads we have here on CAF…

 

[Irishmom2]

No, playing is acceptable, but watching is bad!

“however, simply watching it does lead you out of the narrow way to Mount Carmel”

I believe that God gave us plenty of good things to entertain us and delight us. Why would he do that if he expects us to spend every waking minute focused on him? I honestly don’t believe that he does. He gave us life for us to live, to experience, to enjoy.

 

[Aulef]

So baseball is good… But TV shows aren’t?

-Fr ACEGC

I meant ‘playing baseball’ is good and ‘watching it’ is indifferent, father. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.

Please show me the list of acceptable Christian entertainments. Which sports are right, and which wrong to watch? Are all TV shows or only some? By what moral principles do you propose I choose my entertainment? A moment ago you said no entertainment was good, but now you admit of some.

Listing would be improductive but the principles can be discussed. I won’t post here because it is long, but the answer can be found in Summa Theologiae, Treatise on Fortitude and Temperance, Question 168 (of modesty as consisting in the outward movements of the body), in special Article 2 (whether there can be a virtue about playful actions). It covers words and deeds so in my understanding it covers hobbies, games, stories, jokes and such that would delight the soul and give rest to it at the same time.

And honestly if I didn’t have hobbies and diversions when I got home, I wouldn’t be able to function. When your profession is religion, sometimes it’s nice to have some professional distance, some “work-life balance.”.

Saint Thomas agrees with this conclusion. Here’s what he said on the question I mentioned above:

the remedy for weariness of soul must needs consist in the application of some pleasure, by slackening the tension of the reason’s study. Thus in the Conferences of the Fathers xxiv, 21, it is related of Blessed John the Evangelist, that when some people were scandalized on finding him playing together with his disciples, he is said to have told one of them who carried a bow to shoot an arrow. And when the latter had done this several times, he asked him whether he could do it indefinitely, and the man answered that if he continued doing it, the bow would break. Whence the Blessed John drew the inference that in like manner man’s mind would break if its tension were never relaxed.

 

[runningdude]

In the Star Wars universe, the “Force” is a real natural entity that can manipulated. Some people are naturally more sensitive to it, and more able to manipulate it. In such a scenario, it is not sinful to use one’s natural abilities (of course, one must use it only for morally good or morally neutral objectives).

The force is not comparable to the “occult” or “magic” in the real world. In the real world, the occult is a lie; there is no secret magic that God hides from us. To seek the occult is to be led away from God.

In the Star Wars universe, the Force has real and measurable effects. It is tangible, and can be scientifically proven. The religions in that universe mistake the Force, something real and powerful, for God. It is a difficult situation, because belief in the Force is not superstitious in anyway. It is merely missattribution. The religions are disordered, but it is unclear if God has revealed himself in that universe. The religions are not sinful in the same way paganism in the real world is sinful, because people are using their reason to discern something real. What they are discerning is simply not God.

 

[edward_george1]

Yes, but Star Wars is fiction.

 

[MikeInVA]

It’s a space fantasy/space Western. It has droids, aliens, alien cultures, alien religions, the Force, bad guys, good guys, criminals, law makers, ship fights, gun fights, giant monsters, etc. There is no swearing or nudity in it.

I’d say that it is essentially a clone (no pun intended) of Firefly, but much more family friendly.

 

[Servant31]

How I read it I think the OP was more pointing to the violence and the religious undertones which could conflict with Catholicism /Christianity.

 

[Montrose]

Watching a baseball game isn’t going to close the gates of Heaven so don’t worry about this.

Neither is watching The Mandalorian!!

 

[Aulef]

Movies and tv shows are different because they promote ideas and moral codes… What if some of them are anti-Catholic?

 

[CaptainPrudeman]

What if some of them are anti-Catholic?

What code or lesson is presented in Star Wars which is anti-Catholic?

 

[Montrose]

Movies and tv shows are different because they promote ideas and moral codes… What if some of them are anti-Catholic?

If your faith is so weak don’t watch them. My faith is strong and the only type of movie I won’t watch are pornographic movies. I have no problem with any others.

 

[Aulef]

Aulef:

Movies and tv shows are different because they promote ideas and moral codes… What if some of them are anti-Catholic?

If your faith is so weak don’t watch them.

You’re right. I won’t… I wouldn’t want to get into temptation even if I am capable of resisting sin. This is why I ask Our Father everyday to not fall into temptation.

 

[Montrose]

You’re right. I won’t… I wouldn’t want to get into temptation even if I am capable of resisting sin. This is why I ask Our Father everyday to not fall into temptation.

Watching movies has never shaken my faith. It remains strong.

 

[Aulef]

Aulef:

What if some of them are anti-Catholic?

What code or lesson is presented in Star Wars which is anti-Catholic?

Its gnostic-kabbalist background, its revolutionary mindset promotion, its complete absence of scenes glorifying the Most Holy Trinity, its impartiality towards evil (a strong sign of this is the most popular character being a villain), its lack of connection to reality, just to mention a few…

 

[Aulef]

And I pray that it remains this way

 

[Montrose]

And I pray that it remains this way

It will. As I said apart from pornography there is no reason for anyone to avoid other movies (apart from personal taste). I don’t like slow dramas, for example.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

Its gnostic-kabbalist background, its revolutionary mindset promotion, its complete absence of scenes glorifying the Most Holy Trinity, its impartiality towards evil (a strong sign of this is the most popular character being a villain), its lack of connection to reality, just to mention a few…

Who cares? You’re acting as though if you watch something as entertainment you’re going to start believing it’s a source of real world truth. Most reasonably intelligent adults are fully capable of watching something and bearing in mind it’s just a tv show.

 

[phil3]

Its gnostic-kabbalist background, its revolutionary mindset promotion, its complete absence of scenes glorifying the Most Holy Trinity, its impartiality towards evil (a strong sign of this is the most popular character being a villain), its lack of connection to reality, just to mention a few…

I am thinking you dont watch a lot of movies, tv, read many books.

 

[CaptainPrudeman]

its revolutionary mindset promotion

Today I learned overthrowing genocidal regimes is bad!

its complete absence of scenes glorifying the Most Holy Trinity,

Which doesn’t exist in that universe, and doesn’t need to be shoehorned into every single work of fiction.

its impartiality towards evil (a strong sign of this is the most popular character being a villain)

Can you explain this one a bit more? I don’t get it.

its lack of connection to reality

Fiction isn’t real? What? You should’ve told me sooner!